Grand Canyon: North Kaibab Trail to Roaring Springs

Photo Album: North
Kaibab Trail PicturesMap: North
Kaibab Trail MapDay Hike: North Kaibab Trail to Roaring SpringsDistance: 5 miles one-wayAverage Hiking Time: 6 hours one way Difficulty: Strenuous Permits: No Trail Conditions: This trail is hot in the summer.
Consider hiking in the spring and fall. The path is sandy and wide in most places
and well maintained. The trail is easy to walk on, but is often in full sun.
Mules use this trail.Trailhead: Kaibab Trail - Grand Canyon North Rim Trailend: Kaibab Trail - Grand Canyon North Rim Trail access: Note North Rim winter
closures.Starting Elevation North Rim: 8241'Elevation Roaring Springs: 5200' Off the Beaten Path: No. Trail is shared with many
groups of riders on mules from mid-May to mid-October. Best Season: Fall,after the mules stop running. Water Availability: Seasonal - Check with backcountry
office before starting hike.Restrooms: Yes: Supai Tunnel, Roaring SpringsNorth Kaibab Trail: Starting elevation 8250'.
The trail begins by winding down a steep trail through a high alpine forest of
Aspen, Douglas Fir and Ponderosa Pine. Hiking the trail after the mule rides
quit for the season is ideal. Services at the North Rim shut down from mid-October
to mid-May. The trail can still be used as long as Arizona Highway
67 is open.

Coconino Overlook: The Coconino Overlook is only .75 miles
and 500' below the rim. This area is a showcase of coconino sandstone where students
are taken to see the fault and the many layers of rock that are visible here.
The red rocks seen are the Supai formation. The Coconino Overlook gives a nice
view of Roaring Springs Canyon.

Supai Tunnel: Switchbacks twist and turn to Roaring Springs
Canyon. A good day hike would end at the Supai Tunnel. At this point you have
traveled 1.8 miles. The elevation is 6800'. At Supai Tunnel there is an unreliable
fresh water source and restrooms. The Supai formation is the red rocks visible
here and from the trail above.

Roaring Springs: After passing through the small man-made
Supai Tunnel, imposing cliffs come into view. Pinyon's and junipers become dominant.
The Red Wall Bridge is a popular resting spot before heading down the cliff hugging
trail ahead. The formations now are the Redwall Limestone, Muav Limestone, Bright
Angel Shale and Tapeats Sandstone. Almost five miles down the trail is Roaring
Springs. (4.7 miles) At this point you will have descended 3041'. The offshoot
trail to Roaring Springs is .25 miles. There is fresh water and restrooms there.
The elevation is 5200' at Roaring Springs.

Directions to North Rim Grand Canyon: From Zion National Park, take on U-9 through the park to Mt. Carmel Jct. Turn south on US-89 to Kanab. There is only one stop light in Kanab; this is where US-89 changes to ALT 89. Fredonia, Arizona is 6 miles. In Fredonia take 89A to Jacob lake (36 miles), then take AZ 67 to the Grand Canyon North Rim park entrance.

Grand Canyon North Rim's North Kaibab Trail
is the only North Rim trail that goes to the Colorado River

Lodging and services are available on the gorgeous east side of Zion National Park, where guests are close to Zion National Park (12 miles), Bryce Canyon National Park (60 miles), Cedar Breaks National Monument (45 miles), Coral Pink Sand Dunes (12 miles), and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon (85 miles). It's where city traffic is absent and the skies are bright and clean.

North Kaibab Trail

The North Kaibab Trail is a diverse trail offering plenty of variety for those
who want to backpack or day hike.

The entire North Kaibab Trail distance, (one way) rim to river is 14.2 miles.
Due to the extreme elevation changes this would not be done as a day hike. The
North Kaibab trailhead shares the same parking area as the Ken Patrick and Uncle
Jim trails. The trailhead is 2 miles north of the visitor center. The trail descends
beneath the rim, through the forest, for the first 5 miles, leading to Roaring
Springs. Roaring Springs is a waterfall created by water pouring from a muav
cave into Bright Angel Creek. This creek is one of the Grand Canyon's largest
tributaries and a home for beavers. Never plan to hike past Roaring Springs in
one day.

The following are points along the trail that can serve as a trail destination.

Coconino Overlook .75 mile one way
Supai Tunnel 2 miles one way
Redwall Bridge 3 miles one way
Roaring Springs fork 4.7 miles
Roaring Springs 5 miles

The North Kaibab Trail is the only North Rim trail leading into the inner
canyon and can be done as a backpacking trip.

Directions to the Grand Canyon North Rim - From Zion National Park, travel Highway 9 to Mt. Carmel Jct., then turn south
on Highway 89 to Kanab. There is only one stop light in Kanab; this is where
Hwy 89 changes to Highway 89A. Fredonia, Arizona is just a few miles away, across
the Utah - Arizona border. Take Highway 89A to Jacob lake (36 miles), then take
Highway 67 to the Grand Canyon North Rim park entrance.

North Rim Grand Canyon Location - The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is 85 miles from Mount
Carmel Junction, which is located on the east side of Zion National Park.
Many who visit the National Parks of Southern Utah add the North Rim of the Grand
Canyon to their travel plans and those visiting the North Rim of the Grand Canyon
often visit Zion National Park.

This is my new favorite quote:
"I don't know who Tanya Milligan is, but I mean www.zionnational-park.com
It's a better site than the NPS's anyway."
Written by the authors of the book: Favorite Hikes in and around Zion National Park
Contact Tanya to report errors: Email